Almost a year has passed since computer teachers recruited on a four-year contract in schools and colleges in Islamabad were last paid.
The teachers, who were appointed in 2018, have been left without compensation for their duties, despite their continued services.
In 2017, the Ministry of Information Technology partnered with the Universal Service Fund (USF) to build computer labs in 202 schools and colleges in Islamabad. The computer teachers were recruited after passing the test and interview stages.
In February 2022, the Ministry of Education took over the teachers’ contract and extended it for another three years and announced that it would be renewed annually.
However, the teachers are yet to receive their salaries as the objections raised by the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR) were not addressed by the Planning and Development (P&D) Wing for the last three months.
A budget for their salaries was approved by the Ministry of Finance and given to AGPR in August 2022, but so far their salaries have not been disbursed because AGPR’s objections remain unheeded.
Teachers have warned that if this problem is not resolved immediately, they will be forced to take to the streets in protest as the lack of pay for these teachers has put them under severe financial burden.